President Barack Obama said Thursday that he saw a “glimmer of hope” in the preliminary agreement reached in Geneva for immediate de-escalation in Ukraine — including an end to violence and separatist threats encouraged by Russia.

Though Obama has said in the context of other negotiations, including Iran, that he would keep the military option on the table, the president ruled that out for Russia. The possibility of a NATO response or providing lethal military aid to the Ukrainians have both been floated as possibilities.

“I think I’ve made it very clear that military options are not on the table in Ukraine, because this is not a situation that would be amenable to a military solution,” Obama said, in a brief press conference at the White House. “What we have to do is create an environment where the regular forces disarm, where the seizing of buildings cease, where a national dialogue of Ukrainians — not by others, but by Ukrainians, takes place.”

“We wanted to find concrete steps, not just words, but concrete steps that could be acted on immediately in order to defuse the situation,” Kerry said in Geneva, following the first meeting of the Ukraine contact group, which included Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, along with representatives from Ukraine and the European Union.

The joint diplomatic statement calls for all sides to refrain from “violence, intimidation or provocative actions.”The statement condemns “all expressions of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-Semitism.”

The document calls for disarmament of illegal groups and return of seized buildings, adding that “amnesty will be granted to protesters and to those who have left buildings and other public places and surrendered weapons, with the exception of those found guilty of capital crimes.”

“All of this we are convinced represents a good day’s work, but on the other hand, this day’s work has produced principles, and it has produced commitments and it has produced words on paper,” Kerry said. “And we are the first to understand and agree that words on paper will only mean what the actions taken as a result of those words produce.”

Kerry’s announcement is an early positive sign out of talks in Geneva, where the United States is hoping to push Russia back without increasing sanctions, though Kerry said that option is still on the table.

“If there is not progress over the course of these next days,” Kerry said, “then there will be additional sanctions, additional costs as a consequence.

“We do not envision this as the full measure of de-escalation,” he added. “This is just the beginning; it depends on the good faith of parties in following through. We’re going to watch that very closely.”

The issue of Crimea, Kerry stressed, is not yet settled: Americans, Europeans and the interim government still consider Russia’s annexation “illegal,” and “nobody has left behind the issue.”

Speaking ahead of Kerry, Lavrov said he believed that issue is settled.

“Crimea has made its choice, and we have accepted,” Lavrov said.

The lifting of sanctions was not discussed at this meeting, nor is it part of the document that was agreed to.

“As we go down the road, I’m sure that is going to become a topic of conversation, but it’s premature right now,” Kerry said.

Lavrov said after the meeting that while the Russians are urging a federalist solution that would empower individual regions of Ukraine, those terms were not discussed Thursday, nor were they outlined in the new document laying out next steps. Kerry confirmed that was part of the discussion and that all the parties are open to some resolution along those lines.

Repeatedly, Lavrov said the future shape of leadership in Ukraine is “up to the Ukrainians.” But in a sign of Russia’s continued lack of recognition for the current government in Kiev, Lavrov referred to “coup-appointed authorities,” according to a translator on RT television.

As for the future of Ukraine, Lavrov said, “I don’t really understand what political neutrality means. … I’m not sure it can exist in the modern world.”

There could be new individual sanctions, but senior administration officials said Wednesday that the most painful sanctions would target full sectors of the Russian economy — which an executive order already signed by Obama provides authority for.

American officials are hoping that the threat of a collapsing Russian economy, helped along by the sanctions, will convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to reconsider his moves, even though they say the only signs that he’s been given pause at all so far are that he hasn’t sent troops further into Ukraine and that he requested the last few phone calls he’s had with Obama.

In a televised forum answering questions from Russia on Thursday morning, Putin said he has the authority from the Russian parliament to invade Ukraine should he choose to. Putin did admit that there were Russian troops in Crimea, however, acknowledging that soldiers who have to date attempted to obscure their identity were under his command.

Lavrov added in Geneva, “there are no additional excessive Russian troops on the Ukrainian or any other foreign soil.”

Putin also said Thursday that claims of violence against ethnic Russians already leaves him unready to accept how the scheduled May 25 elections could proceed legitimately.

But standing beside Kerry at the Geneva news conference, European Union High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton called elections “the best way to express the will of the people of Ukraine … we want to see all candidates behaving well and treated with respect.”

Obama has directly rebutted Putin’s claims about violence in Ukraine, with the State Department releasing several extended deconstructions of Russian accounts. American officials again on Wednesday praised Ukrainians for showing restraint in the face of Russian provocations.

Putin’s narrative of violence against ethnic Russians has only fed the skepticism about what might happen in Geneva.

“I have low expectations for these talks in part because Russia’s lying to us about what’s going on,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), speaking Thursday morning on CNN.

An International Monetary Fund package and other relief for the government in Kiev are expected to be approved in the coming weeks, administration officials said.

Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Ukraine next week in what officials said would be a show of American support for the Ukrainians and the election process.